A Chinese warship collided with one of its own coast guard vessels while chasing Philippine boats earlier this week in the highly contested South China Sea, in the latest such incident to underscore growing volatility in one of the world’s most strategically vital waterways.
Dramatic footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed the moment the collision took place, leaving one of the Chinese vessels missing a prominent part of its bow.
Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard said the incident occurred on Monday while personnel were distributing aid to Filipino fishermen near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, approximately 140 miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon.
Tarriela said a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel was chasing Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Suluan at “high speed” when the incident occurred.
“Philippine vessels and fishermen encountered hazardous maneuvers and blocking actions from other vessels in the vicinity,” Tarriela said, adding one of the Philippine boats was targeted with a water cannon but avoided getting hit.
